New Mousies

smash_57 · #1 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 04:52 PM

So I was at Petco yesterday buying some canned green tripe for the dogs, and there's a little cage on the check out counter with 2 cute little mice in it. Naturally I ask what their story is. She says they're for adoption because some lady bought them earlier in the week and had to bring them back because they drove her cats crazy. I ask the adoption price, FREE - cage and everythng included. Well, me being slightly mentally unbalanced, I brought them home

(much to the hubby's dismay). I've named the dark brown active, tamer one Doc, and the white/grey more skittish one Wyatt.

So, I know that some of you have mice, either for pets or as snake food, and I need help with care advice. I had rats long ago, but I don't remember the slightest thing about them. I bought some food pellets that have horrible ingredients. I'd like to feed them as good as possible, since they already have such short life expectancies. Any other tips, fun, and advice are welcome, too!

I'll post pics as soon as I get off my butt and take some.

TIA
~Jenn

Aaron_NSBM · #2 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 04:57 PM

You can pick up some Mazuri (sp?) rodent food..I use the breeder formula and all of mine are nice and healthy! Just and idea for you!

smash_57 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 04:58 PM

From where?

Aaron_NSBM · #4 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 05:01 PM

you can order it online or get it at like a feed store...thats where I get mine....

smash_57 · #5 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 05:15 PM

Really? They do good on this? Everything I read says not to give them corn. These ingredients look just as crappy (no offense) as low grade dog kibble. It contains mostly fillers. (Ingredients are about the same as the cheap stuff I bought at walmart yesterday) Do you keep mice as pets or breeders? I ask because I'm curious about their life span, which probably wouldn't apply if they're feeders! lol
~Jenn
INGREDIENTS: ground corn, dehulled soybean meal, wheat middlings, ground wheat, soybean oil, fish meal
cane molasses, porcine meat meal, ground oats, brewers dried yeast, wheat germ, dried beef pulp, dehydrated alfalfa meal, calcium carbonate, dried whey, salt, calcium propoinate(preservative), menadione dimethylprimidinol bisulfate(vit. K),
Choline chloride, dried yucca shidgera extract,DL-methionine, vitamin A acetate, Cholecalciferol(vit D3), Pyridoxine hydrochloride, D-alpha tocopheryl acetate(natural source of Vit. E), thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, nicotinic acid, calcium pantothenate,
cyanocobalamin(vit B12), riboflavin, maganous oxide, zinc oxide, ferrous carbonate, caopper sulfate, zinc sufate, calcium lodate, cobalt carbonate.

Aaron_NSBM · #6 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 05:37 PM

I keep as breeders..mice and rats..I am still breeding female mice that are well over a year old and they are still running strong.. I recomend the Mazuri over anyother food..Mazuri is what they use in labs...so it must be a great food since they run such delicate test on them....

smash_57 · #7 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 05:49 PM

Do you feed them scraps or anything in addition? I figure I'll use these pellets as a base, and feed them fresh stuff as well.

What do you use for bedding?

Aaron_NSBM · #8 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 06:08 PM

I use pine bedding..I only use the mazuri for their food..

Ophiophilia · #9 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 06:28 PM

I'd avoid pine and cedar, some may cause horrible health problems. Aspen is what I kept my rats on.

Aaron_NSBM · #10 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 06:49 PM

I have never had any problems with pine bedding at all.....

Ophiophilia · #11 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 07:02 PM

Almost every care sheet you read will say not to use pine or cedar. But if it works for you then sure

Adrya · #12 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 07:10 PM

I used to breed mice mostly for snake food but needless to say I kept quite a few as pets cause they were pretty with black and white spots and real cute. I kept them on pine bedding but I figure they do have sensitive respiratory systems... not as sensitive as rats, but aspen or CareFresh is good.

I fed my mice a mixture of Mazuri and seed/grain mouse food and they did well on that... had a few live for about 3 years...I even had a golden hamster live for almost 5 years. Poor little guy was so old and decrepped and had numerous tumors on him by the time he died, but there really wasn't anything I could do about it... they didn't seem to bother him though and I pampered him lots.

I also picked fresh clover and dandelions for the mice and hamster too and they seemed to like it pretty well. There's a chestnut tree next to the post office here so I'd pick a bunch of those when the season came around and they really liked those... the rats that I have now really liked them too.

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